In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire (Ancient Warfare and Civilization) 1st Edition

by Robert G. Hoyland (Author)

31 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0199916368

ISBN-10: 0199916365

Why is ISBN important?

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Share <Embed>

Condition: Used - Good

In Stock. Sold by wrookie, Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

24 Used from $18.99

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Deliver to France

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Only 12 left in stock - order soon.

Ships from and sold by SuperBookDeals--.

This item ships to France.

List Price: $29.95
Save: $9.92 (33%)

33 New from $22.84

Deliver to France

$20.03 + $31.99 shipping

Turn on 1-Click ordering

More Buying Choices

33 New from $22.84 24 Used from $18.99

57 used & new from $18.99

See All Buying Options

Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student

In just over a hundred years--from the death of Muhammad in 632 to the beginning of the Abbasid Caliphate in 750--the followers of the Prophet swept across the whole of the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain. Their armies threatened states as far flung as the Franks in Western Europe and the Tang Empire in China. The conquered territory was larger than the Roman Empire at its greatest expansion, and it was claimed for the Arabs in roughly half the time. How this collection of Arabian tribes was able to engulf so many empires, states, and armies in such a short period has perplexed historians for centuries. Most accounts of the Arab invasions have been based almost solely on the early Muslim sources, which were composed centuries later to illustrate the divinely chosen status of the Arabs.

Robert Hoyland's groundbreaking new history assimilates not only the rich biographical information of the early Muslim sources but also the many non-Arabic sources, contemporaneous or near-contemporaneous with the conquests. In God's Path begins with a broad picture of the Late Antique world prior to the Prophet's arrival, a world dominated by two superpowers: Byzantium and Sasanian Persia. In between these empires, emerged a distinct Arabian identity, which helped forge the inhabitants of western Arabia into a formidable fighting force. The Arabs are the principal actors in this drama yet, as Hoyland shows, the peoples along the edges of Byzantium and Persia--the Khazars, Bulgars, Avars, and Turks--all played critical roles in the remaking of the old world order. The new faith propagated by Muhammad and his successors made it possible for many of the conquered peoples to join the Arabs in creating the first Islamic Empire. Well-paced, comprehensive, and eminently readable, In God's Path presents a sweeping narrative of a transformational period in world history.

Frequently bought together

+

Total price: $34.32

These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers. Show details

Buy the selected items together

This item:In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire (Ancient Warfare and… by Robert G. Hoyland Hardcover $20.03
Only 12 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by SuperBookDeals--.
$3.99 shipping
In the Shadow of the Sword: The Birth of Islam and the Rise of the Global Arab Empire by Tom Holland Paperback $14.29
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Dexter Hoyos

12

Hardcover
$23.95
Richard Alston

14

Hardcover
$16.13
Tom Holland

188

Paperback
$14.29
Fred McGraw Donner

28

Paperback
$18.07
Ian Worthington

20

Hardcover
$17.25
Peter Heather

3

Hardcover
$19.90

Sponsored products related to this item (What's this?)

Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1

Feedback

Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon's original thoughts on leadership and art of war.How did he become one of the greatest generals of history?Here are his thoughts.

4

Paperback
$11.60
Feedback

Jonathan Owen

Jonathan Owen identifies the key failings in the US military's current strategy in Afghanistan and lays out a proven strategy for a decisive victory.

3

Kindle Edition
$7.99
Feedback

Daniel B Lancaster

Learn How to be a Powerful Prayer Warrior and Bring Healing to Your Family and Friends

1037

Kindle Edition
$2.99
Feedback

Ibn Warraq

Ibn Warraq returns with his usual meticulous research on Islam and the history of Islamic revivalism.

21

Kindle Edition
$9.99
Feedback

Jesse Harasta

The History of the Sunni and Shia Split traces the origins of the split and the historic effects of the main divide within Islam.

101

Kindle Edition
$2.99
Feedback

Ms Scarlett Wright

Discover how to cast your first magick spell and cast your first enchantment with simple straightforward step any new Wiccan can follow.

11

Paperback
$16.97
Feedback

Jordan Stratford

Discover the wisdom of the earliest Christian mystics. Accurate, easy to read, and profound. Simply the best introduction to Gnosticism in print.

21

Kindle Edition
$6.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[A] splendid new history of the Arab conquests.... Hoyland...has performed an invaluable service. His book will surely serve as the definitive account of the Arab conquests for many years to come." --Tom Holland, Literary Review

"In God's Path is a thoughtful and nuanced guide to an age that was far more complex than we might imagine from older accounts." --Philip Jenkins, Books & Culture

"An illuminating, richly detailed, highly readable study of one of the crucial periods of history." --First Things

"This is perhaps the best introduction to the Arab-Islamic Conquests available. Never before has this story been told on the basis of such a wide range of sources, as Hoyland draws discerningly on the testimony of both contemporary non-Muslims and of the classical Islamic tradition. The author's elegant style, fascinating observations, and sharp analysis bring one of history's great moments to life, for the benefit of students, scholars, and the general public. This book is original, authoritative, and a joy to read--I cannot recommend it highly enough." --Adam Silverstein, author of Islamic History: A Very Short Introduction

"With its exceptional clarity, balanced judgment of both Muslim and non-Muslim sources, and a broad perspective that encompasses peripheral peoples, Robert Hoyland's new book provides an account of the rise of Islam that is as definitive as it is accessible." --G. W. Bowersock, author of The Throne of Adulis

About the Author

Professor of Late Antique and Early Islamic Middle Eastern History at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, Robert G. Hoyland is the author of Arabia and the Arabs.

Product details

Series: Ancient Warfare and Civilization
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (November 3, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199916365
ISBN-13: 978-0199916368
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 1.1 x 6.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 31 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #872,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #328 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Religious Studies > Islam
- #552 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Islam > History
- #558 in Books > History > World > Religious > Islam

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features:

See Kindle Edition

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars

1 star (0%)

Write a customer review

See all 31 customer reviews

Top customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Interesting and informative

September 16, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

I found this book to be very interesting, informative and well written. It covers the Arab Conquest of the Sasanian Persian Empire and part of the Byzantine Empire, covering the 7th and 8th centuries AD. It covers :
· The military aspects of the invasion and some of the principal battles, with an emphasis on the idea that the conquest was not instantaneous, but rather took decades.

· The Arab invasion is portrayed as not being motivated by religious factors, but more for plunder than for converting people. There was no initial impetus for converting the defeated people; in fact the opposite was the case, with a resistance to conversion.

· The book discusses the nature of the Arab army and the fact that it was not solely composed of Moslems, but also contained Christian and Jewish tribes.

· The book discusses the nature of the Islamic society that the invasion produced and the influence of Persia on the nature of Islam.

I liked the book and found that is provided an interesting interpretation of this critical aspect of the history of the Middle East, Central Asia, the Caucuses and the West in general.

5 people found this helpful

Comment

Bruce McClelland

The role of religion is never dismissed or downplayed but is held in a perspective so that the events can be more easily underst

June 19, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This well written and extremely insightful book deserves a wide readership. It places the Arab conquests in a historical context second to none and provides a clear and concise description of the peoples and events that transpired. It fills an information void with regard to the Late Antique world as seen from the Arab side. The conquests and aftermaths are shown in human terms rather than from a strictly religious point of view. The role of religion is never dismissed or downplayed but is held in a perspective so that the events can be more easily understood in human terms. This is especially gratifying for those of us that are well versed in Byzantine and Persian history. Those tumultuous times can now be more readily viewed and understood on their own terms. There is something to be said for a balanced multi-perspective presentation and 'In God's Path' does just that-admirably so. The events may have occurred a long time ago but the repercussions are as recent as today's headlines. This should be a 'must read' book especially for Westerners that have a poor understanding of the histories of South West Asia in general and the Arabs in particular.

7 people found this helpful

Comment

An excellent introduction

May 16, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Although relatively short, this book provides an excellent short history of the early expansion of the Arab/Muslim Empire. The author makes a number of valuable insights into the emergence of the Umayyad and Abassid empires. His use of available sources is admirable, and his conclusions flow logically from his sourcing. This is the sort of work that can create a lot of argument among specialists, but provides a much more nuanced picture of early Islamic history. Very recommended.

One person found this helpful

Comment

This Book will Tell you how the Islamic world became the Islamic world.

July 4, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Great book on the battles and politics of the Late Antiquity of the Muslim lands. Everyone interested in the history of Islam or the Middle East should read this book. We are all so wrapped up in the Middle East, and we are affected by its history every day, we need to understand what that history was and how it has shaped our world. Great read.

One person found this helpful

Comment

audible book owners should be granted the right to view the maps and figures

May 27, 2016

Format: Audible AudiobookVerified Purchase

I looked for a way to give a feedback on audible books to amazon.com, and found no other way to do it other than leaving a feedback on this book... I think audible book owners should be granted the right to view the maps and figures of the bought book online, or have an option to give a small fee to buy the kindle version completely. Especially history books without the maps are really hard to understand and from a customer point of view, bad purchases. Narration goes like "as seen in map 4.2, they turned eastwards then northwards and reached Samarkand" One needs to go home and see the map immediately... Also audible buyers miss out the plates, pictures of narrated cities, ruins of settings, artefacts etc...

3 people found this helpful

Comment

Howard R. Seccombe

Illuminating Study of Early Muslim Conquests

September 2, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A widely shared impression is that, immediately on conversion to Islam, Arabs swept across the Persian and Roman empires, wielding the sword as alien invaders. This study demonstrates that most elements in this story are false or at best simplifications. The Arabs in the heartland of Islam were partly Romanised, familiar with military service. People other than Arabs joined the conquerors, who also fought each other and used negotiation as well as violence in their conquests, which took place over an extended period.

2 people found this helpful

Comment

Interesting and relatively fast paced read.

March 18, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Perhaps not as in depth as some might want, but for the casual reader with a passing interest it is entertaining and informative. I feel it provides a good grounding for those looking for a "starting point" on the subject, or a good overview for those just looking to get a general idea of when, how and why the early Arab Conquests happened.

One person found this helpful

Comment

Amazon Customer

Good book for introduction of the Islamic civilization

July 5, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

As for me very good explanation of the Arabs sucess in conquering neighboors and installing an empire but it is lack of information on the relations between conquered elites and Arabs, exchange of the culture and art e/t/c. Good book for introduction into first stages of the establishing an Islamic empire but completely no information on it`s routine life and politics.

2 people found this helpful

Comment

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire (Ancient Warfare and Civilization)

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire (Ancient Warfare and Civilization)

Set up a giveaway

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Hugh Kennedy

61

Paperback
$13.88
Tamim Ansary

374

Paperback
$17.38
Hugh Kennedy

14

Hardcover
$19.03
Fred McGraw Donner

28

Paperback
$18.07
Tom Holland

188

Paperback
$14.29
Robert G. Hoyland

8

Hardcover
4 offers from $499.99

Pages with related products. See and discover other items: history of europe, ancient civilization, ancient gods, creation science

English United States

Conditions of Use
Privacy Notice
Interest-Based Ads
© 1996-2018, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates